Sächsich Erfahrung mit Herr. Notzöld familien

It has become a habit now that I experience Sachsen two times a year. One during the peak summer and another one during the Christmas time. Thanks to Nötzold family who provide this great opportunity for me to experience eastern part of Germany. This time it was with my honey to experience Sächsich. The weather turned out to be ultimate with sun shine through out the weekend.

Initially, we went to Erzgebirge to experience the making of perfumed Candles (Räucherkerzchen) which is used by Raucher Mann in Erzgebirge. Then we went to Greifensteine where one could get a panoramic view of Chemnitz from the top of the rocks. Then followed by historic match between Germany and England where Germany hammered England by 4-1. It’s the worst result for England in the history of world cup. Its really great time to be in Germany when Germans were playing awesome football.

Then went to Open Air Concert in the town hall of Chemnitz. It was totally a serene atmosphere with people bringing their own chairs to witness the Concert and finally with lovely fireworks to mark the end of the Concert for the summer. Next day tried to perform a sport for the first time – “Kletterwald” – Climbing up trees through ropes and chain. It was real fun to try this sport which Anita loved to the core. It was perfect weather to try this adventure and going back to our ancestral way of life of climbing up trees ;)

All in all it was a perfect weekend for us. Anita can’t ask anything more to experience German culture than spending time with Notzöld family. It was very pity that Torsten and his wife Angela couldn’t make up to our wedding because of Volcanic ash exactly during my wedding. The time which I spent with Torsten both technically and socially is something I need to script of my good old days in Germany.

Hats off to Notzöld family!
Sathish & Anita

Honeymoon with my honey in Andaman & Nicobar Islands, India

Short synopses before I start narrating my honey moon experiences. When I was preparing for my 10th standard board examinations, I read in my history book that India’s freedom fighters were exiled to Andaman and Nicobar Islands in Cellular jail and Britishers used these islands as their holiday package ;) Well that’s history. Lets come to the conclusion at the end of this article. It was always my dream to include these islands in my traveling voyage and I couldn’t find better way to club it with my honeymoon with my Honey :)

Andaman is logistically favorable if you are from Chennai and Calcutta. Got some good offers from Kingfisher airlines. Should really thank Kingfisher who plays a great role in the Indian airline sector and they have really set some amazing benchmarks and standards in connecting different cities of India. Arrived at Port Blair, the capital of Andaman Islands in Veer Savarkar International airport named after India’s great freedom fighter Vinayak Savarkar. First we went to Carbyn’s cove beach with coconut trees nearby, young guys playing Cricket along the coastline, small mountains nearby, group of small islands in the foresight was a treat to watch.

Then we went to Wandoor beach, one of the highly serene beaches which we came across. The small boats in stagnant water with blue skies was simply breathtaking. The beaches in Andaman were very shallow, hardly any tides and more importantly one could see clearly the coral reefs beneath the water. People talk about Maldives, Hawaii, Caribbean, definitely Andaman Islands are on par with these tropical beaches. Tourism has developed only in the last few decades and it was always a prime importance for Indian navy. There are numerous islands where civilization has not yet reached and there are quite of lot of tribal people who are still separated from the rest of the world. Most of the islands got vanished because of Tsunami.

The most thrilling experience was a trip to Havelock Islands by a ship. Had a chance to go to Elephant Islands by Catamaran reserved only for us. The ride to Elephant Islands with my honey is something which I cherished to the core. We both wore binoculars and went inside the water to explore the coral reefs and the shells. That’s something which is worth doing especially in Andaman Islands. I was really surprised with the friendliness of the locals in those islands. Most of them were Tamil and Bengali settlers from the Indian mainland. I never ever felt unsecured or being cheated by the locals which is very unusual in many tourist locations. Visited Radha Nagar beach which is rated as the Asia’s beautiful beach by Times Magazine. Really a long stretch with good view of the coastline. Requested our tour manager to explore unmanned location in Andaman which turned out to be the best spots in our trip.

The highlight of this whole trip is a visit to Cellular Jail. Had a chance to see the light show which depicts the history of the jail and the hardships faced by various freedom fighters. They made a story in a way that the tree which was there for many decades explains all the barbaric acts committed by the British Army Generals. Really made us very touching and emotional. World has gone long way and times have changed and I am so happy that belonged to young generation of Indians where I could afford to make my honeymoon with my wife taking in to considerations of all the hardships which my ancestors suffered and to a state where our life style is on par with the western world. Traveling offers great satisfaction and joy to me and certainly this honeymoon trip with my Anita is something which will reside in my memory forever. Just a phrase from Netaji Subash Chandra Bose museum which inspired me a lot

“Forget not that the greatest curse for a man is to remain a slave. Forget not that the grossest crime is to compromise with injustice and wrong”. Grossest – German word…interesting to see in Netaji’s phrase.

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Atlast I am Married... :)

Certain moments of life, I cherished to the core. Definitely April 18th 2010 will always stay in my mind forever simply it happens to be my marriage day with my honey and also my wedding reception. I just gave a small talk before the reception began to welcome all the guests and thank all my well wishers. Here it goes....

Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen, Welcome one and all for my auspicious Wedding Reception function. I take this opportunity to thank each and every person who have come here to share your time with us and make the evening memorable and everlasting. I just want to take few minutes of your time. Its not a political speech, its not a philosophical speech, its not religious speech, its just few words to express my happiness and feelings.

There goes a saying, always thank a person who have offered something in your life. There couldn’t be any other better person in my life who has offered everything and anything. That’s definitely my mom and dad. I am so gifted in my life to have such a mom and dad. The two personalities who stood in all my difficult times, gave all the support to have a smile on my face. They never insisted or pressurized me to do anything special. The sort of independence they offered me in Indian Society is something dream come true for any son .They never asked me to earn lot of money, they never asked me to become great Engineer or Doctor or Scientist, they never asked me to be a great Business magnet, but they always asked me to be happy in whatever I do and the end result is I am happy with whatever life has offered me.

After thoroughly enjoying single life, after traveling to 18 countries in Europe, after completing MS and MBA, after getting job satisfaction, I always asked what was missing… definitely my sweet heart with whom I can cherish, laugh, cry, fight to the core…I always wanted two important things from my partner.… one who loves me to the core and accept what I am…one who enjoys the company with my parents…I should say… I have got one in my life….ANITA. Are we really made for each other? Time should answer. I don't want to overlook now whats gonna happen after some decades when my heart says and throbs I love a person and that's Anita. I will be the most happiest person on this planet if I celebrate my 60th birthday with my Honey with funky Chicken on my hand. But Life doesn’t go as one expects. I am happy what life has offered to me till now.

Man is a social animal. Life can not be lead only with mom and dad. I wouldn’t have savored my life with out the company of my beloved friends. I also thank each and every personalities – friends, teachers who have made my days colorful and memorable. I take this opportunity to thank all my German friends who have come all the way from Germany to witness cultural feast on the other side of the planet. Germany gave me more than what I expected. In a society where I look so different, I don’t speak the native language properly, I don’t drink that much beer (hopefully) but I was accepted totally with warm regards. Vielen Dank Deutschland!

Having tasted both the cultures to the core, I always asked myself to which side I belong to and my heart says I am a mixture of Salad. Every culture has its own plus and minus. It was always my dream to see India as a developed nation. Having seen both western and Indian society, I always felt Indian society needs a drastic change in the mentality of the people. The traditional myths, superstitions, religious beliefs are the main hindrance for the betterment of this society. I hope and strongly believe that our future young generation will play a big role for this change to happen in the coming years.

Coming to the events. We will have a short game show. Please feel free to participate and win some prizes. Don’t feel shy. Followed by this event show, we will be happy to accept your blessings and wishes and more importantly your presents ;) In order to avoid confusion and rush in the stage, please feel free to finish your dinner first also and come to the stage. There is no hard and fast rule. As I said, it’s a evening to cherish and not a evening to make controversies :)

After all these, we will be happy if you could shake your body to the South Indian, Bollywood and English songs. Again please don’t feel shy. It’s a evening to cherish. I don’t want to take much of your time. I thank once again each and every person who have come here to shower your wishes and blessings. Have a great evening. Just want to finish in few sentences

Work Hard Party Hard
Life is short Live to the Maximum
World is Small
Friends forever

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

P.S. I also have the tamil version of this talk. If you are interested, please contact me.

Bachelor's party in Riga, Latvia

Where should I celebrate my Bachelor’s party in Europe? My friend Stefan invited me to Riga, Latvia during Easter holidays to celebrate my last laugh in the East European city of Riga ;). We had a group of 5 from Germany and 10 Finnish guys during the trip. Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia, a major industrial, commercial, cultural and financial centre of the Baltics. The weather didn’t help us a lot during our trip as it was raining cats and dogs.

The old town of Riga has got some wonderful scenic architectural buildings and Churches. Riga's historical centre has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the city is particularly notable for its extensive Jugendstil (German Art Nouveau) architecture, which UNESCO considers to be unparalleled anywhere in the world. It was none other getting up in the morning, having breakfast, go to pub, drink loads of beer, play darts, stuff once again, take a nap, again to the pub, gossip a lot about the same story and finally ending up in discothèques and sleep next day till afternoon and continue the cycle.

I should say Riga has some amazing night life when compared to other European cities. Probably one of the best dance floors I experienced in Europe and fitting time to celebrate my Bachelor party with Stefan and Benny. Thanks to Air Baltic and Ryan Air which offered cheap tickets from Germany to Latvia and could increase my count to 18th country in Europe. Riga happens to be the last city in Europe during my European Voyage with Bachelor status. Let’s see what my married life offers during my next voyage of Life.


Good Bye Bachelor Life!
Sathish Kumar S

Chennai Super Kings – Indian Premier League Champions 2010

It’s not Mumbai, it’s not Kolkatta, it’s not Delhi and it’s not Bangalore and it’s my Chennai who clinched the title and champions of Indian Premier League 2010. Thanks to Dhoni and his men who did an excellent job to come from no where to be crowned as Champions. Luckily I had a chance to watch an IPL match at M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) vs Kolkatta Knight Riders with my brother in laws and at that time my future wife ;).

It was all along CSK who dominated the match and hammered Kolkatta to the core. The atmosphere in the stadium was electrifying with 50,000 people cheering for CSK. I still remember I got 50 rupees from my dad to buy a Test match pass in the local gallery and bunked my college to watch a Cricket match with my friends. It was definitely my dream to watch a match in Anna Pavilion or MCC Terrace. Dream definitely came true to watch a match with my girl ! Thank god Anita loves Cricket as well! I always enjoyed the atmosphere and ambience in Chidambaram stadium dating back to my childhood and college days. Who could forget the standing ovation to victorious Pakistan team after the historic innings from Sachin Tendulkar and it was Chennai crowd and I was in M.A. Chidambaram stadium.

After experiencing English Premier League, Bundes Liga, Champions League etc in Europe, I always felt why we don’t have a similar concept in a Cricket fanatic nation like India. I still remember some legendry players from England, Australia, New Zealand refused to tour India in the late 80s. Now every top player from western world is standing in queue to enter Indian Premier League.

I personally consider Indian Premier League as a symbol of “Rising India” and India’s supremacy in World Cricket. A perfect entertainment for the Indian crowd to savor their evenings after long day at work. Even from Cricketing point of view, the local players get a chance to rub shoulders with world class players. At the end of the day, it’s all about money in IPL. But I don’t mind if that money is generated in my homeland and benefits India’s economy. It was certainly a day to remember!



Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Bad Fallingbostel Indoor Cricket Champions 2010 :)

Gloomy weather, hard to see the sun shine, drizzling drops of water on the leaves of alpine trees, definitely not an ideal condition to play cricket outside. But off late I realized Cricket can also be played indoor with some great enthusiasm. Recently had a chance to represent Bad Fallingbostel Indoor Cricket Championship 2010 for my club Lüneburg. Twelve teams represented in the tournament out of which eight of them from British Army. Really asked myself why British army still exists in German soil? Hmm…NATO, Second World war…Uhgghghg….Big yawn…lets get back to Cricket ;)

We just formed a team just before two months and started to practice for fun once in a week. We got really hammered in North German Indoor Tournament 2010 by Göttingen. We never played as a team and many discipline aspects of the game were lacking. So went to the tournament as mere representatives to have fun during the weekend. I never even thought I would play a Cricket game against English guys. It was so fun to be surrounded by English guys and hear the sugar coated words of f**k f**k when facing the ball.

Fortunately or unfortunately, we ended up with the same points with another top team in our group. So SUPER BOWLOUT was used to decide the winning team for Semi-Finals. Each team has six balls to bowl to hit the stumps. The team with maximum number of hits qualifies for the semi-finals. If nobody hits the stumps in six balls, then its sudden death i.e. the team which hits first qualifies. It was so fun to be this situation. Both the teams didn’t manage to hit the stumps in six balls. So sudden death. Thanks to my colleague Faisal from Pakistan who managed to hit the stumps and we qualified for the semi-finals. Couldn’t control our emotions, we ran through the surface and grabbed the wicket and threw them away…Got a warning from the organizer…but who cares when you enjoy some moments of life…;)

Then comes semi-finals against Hannover. Hannover had lots of supporters especially quite a lot of Indian Chicks. Seriously a tough team to handle on and off the field ;). We made some good friends during the day with some English guys. So they supported us as well for Semi-finals and finals which made a huge impact on our game. It was so funny with a character named Geoffrey and slogans like “Come on Geoffrey” “Come on Lüneburg” made the day even more everlasting. It was a close match against Hannover and we managed to reach the finals which we could never believe for a moment.

So finals against Göttingen. The funny memories of lambasting and harassment before one month by Göttingen were lingering in our minds. But I always heard from Sir Geoffrey Boycott “Cricket is a punny game, anything can happen” with Yorkshire accent in TV commentaries when I used to bunk my college days to watch Cricket ;) We won the toss and elected to bat first. We made a good start making 90 for no loss and finally ended up with 106 all out …heheheeeee

It was easy chase for Göttingen by taking in to considerations of the quality of players they have got. They lost wickets at regular intervals and finally it reached a situation. 6 balls 8 runs and one wicket remaining. Our great leg spinner Mr. Henner Jung, a German who has great passion for the game had to bowl the final over ;) It was indeed lollipop for Göttingen to finish the game in great style. Finally it came 2 balls 4 runs needed. There was misunderstanding between the batsmen and finally Göttingen lost the final wicket under pressure. Oh my god, who were the champions. Is it Lüneburg? This is something which we couldn’t believe ourselves. Really great moments! Definitely a weekend which would reside in my memory forever. Thanks to Faisal, Ali, Rizwan and Sri, with out them we wouldn’t have cherished this victory.

At the end of the day, “Cricket is a punny game” as referred by funny Yorkshire men 

Ich mag nicht Kricket, Ich liebe Es!
Sathish Kumar S

Sachin - The God of Cricket

Very few personalities in this planet can win the hearts of millions..one can easily count them with our fingers..Sachin Tendulkar definitely comes in the list of great sporting personalities under the likes of Micheal Schumacher, Diego Maradonna, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer, Don Bradman which this planet has ever witnessed...I was so lucky that I grew up during his prime time and can say to my grand children that I belonged to Sachin era ;) I am pretty sure Sachin has silenced all the critics from Cricketing pundits and he has nothing much to prove to anybody...India definitely needed such a hero in the present day world and he has instilled lot of passion and pride in the minds of millions of youth...How many glorious and happy days you should have given to millions and millions of Indians...and this 200 in ODI is finally the tip of the iceberg...What amazes me about this great man is sheer humbleness he shows in on and off the field...Oh Sachin...whatever you score now in the future is extra honey for all of us...You are indeed great ambassador for the game of Cricket and more importantly for a proud Cricketing nation INDIA!

"Great men can't leave this earth with out achieving what they want in their life... Thats our man 'Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar'..Hats off Genius"

Sathish Kumar S

Cricket in Germany

Narrow streets, Bicycles and mopeds passing by, targeting neighbor's glasses...this was the gally cricket which I was used to right from my school days...I never really got a chance to play with proper cricket kits in a lush green grass when I was in India even though Cricket happens to be my favorite sport...Recently got a chance to play with proper stumps, gloves, pads, bat and ball...Thanks to International Cricket Council (ICC) who sponsors non-cricket playing nations like Germany to promote the sport...Had a chance to represent Lüneburg in the North Deutschland Indoor Cup...I could hardly see any German in the tournament...it was all Indians, Pakistanis, SriLankans and bit of English and Aussies...It was a great day to remember with lots of fun in the indoor stadium even though we lost two matches... ;)

Sathish Kumar S

Devastating winter, - 20°C

Out of five winters which I experienced in Germany, 2010 should be one of the worst and devastating winter. Temperatures were fluctuating at around -20°C through out January. The famous lake in Hamburg, the Alster was frozen to the core. Thousands of people were playing in Alster lake...really picturesque sight to watch...The minimum temperature which I experienced in my home town Chennai was not less than 20°C :) To live in -20°C is a lovely experience....I always read about four seasons in my school books...never had a chance to see four seasons in Chennai...it was only summer and rainy season...Hamburg has got lovely four different seasons....Hard winter, Romantic Spring, Sexy summer, Picturesque Autumn...Looking forward for some sunshine soon!

Sathish Kumar S

Small gift to my parents

When my mom, dad and me returned from our father's native place Salem in Yercaud Express to Chennai, we used to get down at Avadi station (in the suburbs of Chennai). Our house is situated at around 2kms from the station. I requested my dad to take Taxi since it was difficult to walk 2kms with the luggage. My father replied "I am not so rich to afford for Taxi Sathish. When you grow up, you can take us in your car and kissed on my face". It was always my dream to take my parents in the car. Time has come now where I could afford a car to my parents (Hyundai Santro). I pretty well know that materialistic things can't make them happy in a longer context. I am not making them happy by staying with them in Chennai atleast I could motivate them and get excuse for my further stay in Deutschland :) Oh god please don't make me fall in to the traps of materialistic benefits :D

I love my appa and amma!
Sathish Kumar S

Christmas Eve with Henrik family :)

Snow capped alpine trees, Church bells ringing around, Christmas gifts all round the shopping malls, Tanenbaum (Christmas trees) with their flashing lights, prayers round the corners, I was just wondering couldn’t be a normal day. It wasn’t indeed. It was Christmas eve. Henrik, my colleague invited me to celebrate Christmas evening with his family. I was really surprised when I got the invitation from him.

Started off the evening with prayers in the Church, followed by wonderful dinner. Oh my goodness I should do lot of sports in the next year to reduce all the fat which I accumulated over the past few weeks during Christmas time. Really awesome dinner with absolute varieties of Cheese, Butter, Salamis, meat, Bread etc. Then followed by a game with the dice to distribute the gifts which everybody bought. If I attend next few Christmas eve with Henrik, I guess my houses can be decorated with full of gifts…no need to shop anymore ;) In the beginning, I was just concerned of how the evening would be because it’s a family fest that too with Oma (Grandma). Honestly, it was Oma who stole the show. Reminds me of my typical Oma in India….Then remembered Shakespeare’s “All the world’s a stage”….the second childhood…Could listen to her experiences about post world-war scenario and many other things of Germany’s transformation.

I always used to tease Henrik as Senior Consultant. Of course that’s his designation. It really amazes me how he separates professional and social life. I should really thank him who greatly helped me to integrate in to German society by inviting me for many social gatherings. I thank Henrik and Sarah who provided excellent opportunity to experience some thing special Heiligabend (Christmas eve) in Germany. Definitely an experience which will reside in my memory for long time. Vielan Dank Henrik!

Henrik’s famous phrase: Programmer: The device for converting coffee into software. :D
Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Is Germany a racist country?

When I was chatting with a friend in California, United States, he was asking how is life in Germany…I replied with optimistic tone “Great”…the next question he asked to me do you really feel safe to live and work in Germany and passed on the below link... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8347040.stm Will be worth enough to read that article from BBC before continuing reading mine..

The title from BBC states “Is Germany a racist country?” After reading that article I felt I should make my comments simply because this country offered me something which I never imagined for in the past. It’s quite easy to stereotype the small minor incidents when it is related to foreigners. If one foreigner breaks the rule lets say not following the traffic rules could lead to a conclusion that all the foreigners are like this. Same holds good when the majorities perform some attacks on the minorities. These issues are always very sensitive in any sections of the society.

I can quote numerous examples of minorities having problems in different corners of the world. For eg. Muslims in India, Tamils in SriLanka, Indian Origin in Malaysia, off late Indians in Australia, Blacks in the past South Africa, America and the example goes on and on. There are always anti-social elements in any sections of the society. When you return from a football match in East Germany is equivalent to returning from a match where Manchester United lost and talk to Hooligans after the match. So England a racist country?

Since I made lot of fortunes in German society, met highly smart intellectuals in University, work and daily life, I can now blow my trumpet “Wow, I love Germans”. Just one small incident with some drunkard in the subway train in the future will make me to write “All Germans are Racist Idiots”. Ah my goodness how opportunistic I can be. Can I forget all the wonderful experiences I made in the past just for one small incident with one stranger?

I accept the fact that it takes really time to integrate in to German society. With my experiences here for four years, I can clearly say its mainly because of the language constraints. Just imagine a situation in England or US, when you go to a shop and you buy some articles and you can’t speak English. Would you expect them to be friendly and can you integrate in to the society with out English. Just because one can not speak German fluently and finds it hard to integrate in to the society can we stereotype that Germans are racists?

For sure, there exists in some places, some situations where you feel you are discriminated. Honestly speaking I faced even in Indian society being an Indian with respect to caste, color, creed and the language I spoke. I asked the same friend who is living in California, you live in United States for so many years. How many Americans would have invited you for a dinner? The answer was straightforward “Not even one”. Does that mean so many Germans invited me for a dinner that I am writing an article in support of this society? ;) Its not just one or two days of my life in Germany to defend her but its been mammoth four years of experience to break the shackles.

Let’s accept the fact that minorities are always at the level of scrutiny and there is always thin line between mistakes and acceptance. The rule of thumb is if you as a minority want to make some fortunes in foreign land always outshine the majorities. I should say I was blessed to meet highly smart rational intellectuals during my stay here and of course I also met some RACISTS. Is still Germany a racist country?

CONCLUSION: Stereotype never helps in life.. :)

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Glühwein in Erzgebirge, Chemnitz, Germany

December is definitely a beautiful month to spend in Germany. With cultural Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas Market), Glühwein, wonderful decorations is definitely a treat to watch. Recently my PL Törsten invited me to his house in Chemnitz to experience the Christmas time in eastern part of Germany. Its totally different from what I experienced in West Germany. First we went to Seiffen which is located in the midst of Erzgebirge. Seiffen has some beautiful churches, museums and Weihnachtsmarkt. Really a place to be during the Christmas celebrations.

Then we went to Nussknacker (Nuts Cracker) museum. Everywhere in Erzgebirge you always find three things 1. The Erzegebirge Christmas pyramids 2. Nussknacker 3. Räuchermann. During christmas time, Räuchermänner are displayed together with christmas pyramid. Then had a chance to drink Glühwein in Chemnitzer Weihnachtsmarkt. Törsten cooked typical German food for us. All in all, it was a great weekend with Törsten’s family. Thanks to Angela who took great amount of effort to show and explain the cultural aspect of Erzgebirge and near by areas. I experienced different cultural aspects in Germany, but definitely experience with Törsten’s family is tip of the Iceberg.

I love Törsten's family!
Sathish Kumar S

Timeline 2009

Another year of stay in Deutschland…if I look back 2009…lot of fun, stress at work…lot of traveling experiences…lot of depressive moments…in the end really satisfying year…lets have a short synopses of how it turned out..

January:
------------
Nothing much happened in January…was freezing in the winter…Attended Merkel’s retirement function…got a gift a big bottle of wine which I can drink through out my life..,;)

February:
------------
Wonderful trip to Harz Mountains in Niedersachsen…It was fun filled trip with snow everywhere…Brocken is definitely a good place to hang around in winter…

March:
----------
Attended some traditional village fest( Vater tag, Shützenfest) in Wetzen…Got a glimpse of German country side life and to say its totally boring when compared to city life..

April:
---------
Had a wonderful trip to Copenhagen, Denmark with Anu and Jothir…the ship journey, train going inside the ship…amazing weather…Danish beers…amazing moments…Had a chance to see 30th birthday celebration of a German who is not married by 30…really crazy celebrations…

May:
--------
The great Norwegian Saga… one of the wonderful experiences I had in Europe…one of the best roadtrips one can imagine on this planet…Bergen to Oslo…Experienced the other extreme of Europe…Portugal…one of the best summer holidays I made in Europe…lovely picturesque amazing beaches…

June:
--------
Had a chance to make a presentation in Rotary Club Hamburg on the topic “Rise of Indian Economy”…Wonderful class trip to Ratzeburg with my ex-classmates…trip to Heide park with Guiness rides and rollercoasters…

July:
-------
Ran marathon for the first time in my life…completing 7Km in 36.55 minutes…really a dream come true for a fat guy who never concentrated on his fitness..;)

August:
----------
Went to Tegernsee in Bavaria to visit Merkel…really one of the scenic landscapes I witnessed in Deutschland…Went to Externsteine…pillar of rocks in NRW…wonderful time with a big gang…Went to Chemnitz to visit my PL Törsten’s family…really amazing experiences with his family…went to India…found my love atlast :)…had my engagement…had wonderful time with my school friends in East Coast Road in Chennai after a long time..

September:
---------------
Visited Damo in Dubai on my return journey to Hamburg…Dubai is definitely a place to visit once in their life time…wonderful desert Safari…Sisha…Sand dunes…dates…memorable times…visited Fredericke-my ex-room mate in Uelzen…had a chance to drive tractor in German field for the first time…in Uelzen...

October:
-----------
Other than work I couldn’t think about anything during this month… on top of it had to work for long hours and also on weekends…who cares if they pay for working on weekends.. ;)

November:
--------------
November is the worst month to spend in Germany…Winter starting…Sun comes after 8 sets at 4…really one of the depressive month to spend…

December:
-------------
Moved to new apartment…end to my shared apartment stories….Christmas time…Gluhwein…Christmas markets…Santa Claus…Christmas dinner…once again visit to East Germany to Erzgebirge to visit Törsten’s family…lovely experiences during Christmas time…

On the whole, 2009 was a mixed year with many challenges, fun, happiness.. on a scale of 10, 2009 would get 7…lets how 2010 is gonna be…I am sure much more challenges and fun are on the cards… ;)

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Bollywood Party - Donate to Educate!

Recently I had a chance to attend Bollywood party which was organized by Indian Students Association at Technical University Hamburg-Harburg(ISATUHH) together with ASHA (an NGO). Its a charity night where the money raised from the event goes for the development of a slum school in Delhi. It was a great initiative taken by the young, motivated, enthusiastic students in TUHH who believe they can make a big difference in the Indian society...their efforts didn't go in vain...it was a great turnout...lovely evening with gala Bollywood music and dance...Bahut Masti...!! certainly a great Indian night to remember during my stay in Hamburg for a good cause... Hats off guys!!

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Completing 27th revolution around the sun.

Three more years to hit the magic 30....time is running very fast...slowly counting white specs on my head...have to accept the fact that "I am no more young and let me curtail my tail" ;) .great lovely dinner with my good friends Rakesh and Prabu...important phone call from important person at 12 o clock...cutting of lovely cake presented by Rakesh and Prabu...followed by birthday bumps and kuthu...Thanks Rakesh and Prabu for the wonderful evening...wearing a new piece of formal shirt gifted by special person...nice strolling across the corridors of my office...lovely smiles and wishes from colleagues...lovely wishes from my Parents, well-wishers and friends...really satisfying day...Life goes on.... Life is beautiful even if its not supposed to be ;)

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Every dog has its day.. :)

Being loved by someone and loving someone is always a special feeling. It’s always god’s gift when both the partners are at the same level of feeling. Having brought up in a conservative south Indian society, I always missed the chance of experiencing this special sort of feeling. When I was in schools and colleges, marks, career, mathematical and programming variables were of prime importance to me than over showing beautiful babes ;) Even when I got a chance of getting closer to my crushes, I didn’t have the great interest and guts to convert in to a strong relation.

After thoroughly enjoying single life, after traveling to 15 countries in Europe, after completing MS and MBA, after getting job satisfaction, I always asked what was missing… definitely my sweet heart with whom I can cherish, laugh, cry, fight to the core…it was certainly very difficult for me to find a person of my wavelength in the German society simply because I was born brought up as an Indian for 23 years and also fact that there are not many Indians living in Germany…I always hated Indian arranged marriages where love is not of prime importance… So lack of attitude based girls in German society, not many Indian girls in Germany, no arranged marriage…where can I search my love…? But in the midst of all these situations, how did I get one? Let me start writing a new blogspot of how did I manage one ;)

Fortunately, a new character came in my life…I always wanted two important things from my partner.… one who loves me to the core and accept what I am…one who enjoys the company with my parents…I should say… I have got one in my life….ANITA. Are we really made for each other? Time should answer. I don't want to overlook now whats gonna happen after some decades when my heart says and throbs I love a person and that's Anita.

I love you Anita!!
Sathish Kumar S

Arabian Sand Dunes, Dubai, UAE

Temperature: 45° C, humidity: 70%, Sweating to the core. Huge sky scrappers, gigantic malls, White long clothes with black rubber bands…Which part of the globe I am in? Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait? Oh no… I could see lot of western babes on the beach with their bikinis…Am I in Middle East? Am I in Islamic orthodox country? The sign board says…Welcome to the heart of Middle East, Dubai. Had a great chance to explore this city since I booked the flight to India via Emirates and more importantly my close school friend Damo is working in Dubai. After seeing Dubai, I should say to Germans, “Germany looks under developed nation when compared to Emirates” ;) The city is surrounded by huge tall sky scrappers, luxurious hotels and gigantic malls…could never imagine how they could convert a desert to a dream come heaven. Couldn’t even remember the number of hotels and sky scrappers I saw. But honestly it’s the hard work of 80% of the people from third world countries in hot scorching sun which complements 20% of the people’s happiness.  Pity

One thing which really fascinates me about this city was the multi culture. When I stand in a big mall or any super market, I could see an European, Chinese, Indians, Pakis, Bangladeshis, Sri Lankans at the same time. Simply incredible example of globalization and multi cultural aspect. I could hardly see native Emirates people with their traditional dresses. Damo arranged for a Safari…went deep in to the desert…with lovely picturesque sand dunes…amazing experience with Land Rover jeep strolling on the Sand dunes…it was always my dream to be in the desert…Thanks to Damo for fulfilling this dream…then followed by amazing dinner…smoked shisha for the first time…missed a chance of seeing Belly dance because of Ramzan… had to compromise for ordinary Arabian Dance… ;) Either you want to spend all the money what you earned in life or you want to earn all the money for your life…Dubai is the ideal location…:D ..

Unfortunately I visited this city during Ramzan time. No body should drink and eat outside after the sun rise and before the sun set. I was trying to drink water after taking bath with the sweat. A man nearby came and stopped me from drinking the water. Hey I am not a Muslim…Oh no…I am in Muslim land….what kind of logic is this…Cant even drink water when I am thirsty….Oh god…A German would offer me a beer anytime even if I try to touch his wife…;) but he wont offer me one if I try to touch his car :D jokes apart…

To be honest, the respect for Indians in Middle East is definitely a big question mark? Oh god please shift the oil deposits close to the Indian Coastline as soon as possible…Oil deposits coupled with programming variables in India could be a good threat for the rest of the world na…Hmm…Sorry I am coming out of my day dreams… ;) But surely after tasting European way of life, I am sure it’s pretty difficult to lead a life in Dubai. Really? If McKinsey in Dubai pays more than what I earn in Germany, the previous sentence has to be rephrased ;)


I should really thank Damo for helping me to explore Dubai to the core. Sweet moments of life to spend some wonderful times in the Arabian Sand Dunes with a childhood friend with whom I shared, cried, laughed to the core. Damo has really suffered a lot in his younger age. When we are gazing at the huge towers of Dubai in his Mitsubishi Lancer, Damo said, he just had 5000 Indian rupees in his house on the day when his father passed away in the accident. I am so so happy for him what he is in his life after all the sufferings he had in his younger age. Thanks to Chemical Engineering which he persisted even during all the tough times. Hats off Damo!!

DUBAI must see city in the world!!

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Fisherman’s Cove East Coast Road (ECR) adventure, Chennai, India

Being born brought up in Chennai, it was always my dream to explore the famous East Coast Road and especially Fisherman’s Cove but Vitamin M(oney) was a big issue during my times in India to explore these amazing places in Chennai. Thanks to the strong exchange rate of Euros and as usual Chennai sunny weather, I could realize this dream with my school friends. I promised my school friends to give a big treat during my visit to India.

We bunked the school for solving complex Mathematical problems, bunked the college for watching the Cricket matches in Chepauk, now we bunked the offices to have a great time on the scenic Bay of Bengal…Hmm…Life at different stages…J We sat in the catamaran and went far away from the shore…finally jumped in to the sea from the catamaran….of course with life jackets…it was a great experience to float in the middle of the sea…stayed in the water for about an hour and finally back to the shore…lovely moments…

Had a lovely lunch in the food court. To say honestly, cost of living in Chennai has increased a lot as well…its not the same Chennai as it used to be…;) Then went to play a new game called Paint Ball…the rule is as follows: Five members in each team. There will be bunkers to hide and shoot the opponents. The idea is to get the flag from the opponent side and bring it back to the own territory or kill (out) all the opponents. When the bullet hits a person, the paint is splashed on the body and he is out of the game. Thought the bullet is soft and will not hurt but my friend Sridhar got hurted a bit. It was fun playing this game with all the gun and the bullets…it was never easy for South Indians to handle guns and the bullets…oh ya…that’s why its one of the safest zone on the earth…;)

Then went for a stroll in Thiruvanmiyur beach recollecting all our old memories and stories…All in all really satisfying day in my life to have such a great time with my school buddies after years of separation in foreign land. I should say was really lucky to have amazing set of friends during my school time. We complemented during different stages of our life and its so unfortunate that we are sitting in different corners of the globe to realize all our dreams and fulfill our responsibilities. But the memories and the experiences which we made in the past really binds us. Friends forever!!

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S